TS defers merger of Intermediate with school education

The Telangana government has deferred a decision on the recommendation of the Education Commission to merge Intermediate education with the school education system.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday directed officials to conduct Intermediate admissions as usual for this academic year.

In view of the availability of limited time for admissions and the various technical hurdles currently impeding the process of merger of Intermediate education with the general school education system, the Chief Minister instructed that the admission process be initiated immediately to ensure that students do not face challenges.

The Telangana Education Commission had recommended the abolition of the Intermediate education system and replacing it with Class 11 and Class 12 grades - similar to the CBSE model. The commission emphasized that the new education system would significantly reduce the number of student dropouts.

The majority of states were already implementing Class 11 and Class 12 grade structures. Telangana state was still practicing the old system of intermediate education as a separate entity. As a result, the majority of students who complete their education up to 10th grade in government schools are not enrolling in the separate colleges designated for Intermediate studies, and instead, they discontinue their education.

Against this backdrop, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy suggested integrating the Intermediate education into the regular school curriculum as classes 11 and 12, rather than maintaining it as a separate entity.

The Telangana Education Commission also highlighted the importance of the merger of Intermediate education with school education.

An announcement was also made of suspending admissions to the Intermediate course, which created anxiety among students and their parents.

In light of the present situation, the Chief Minister held a meeting with MP Vem Narender Reddy, State Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao, CM's Principal Secretary Seshadri, Special Secretary Ajith Reddy, Secretary Manik Raj, and Education Department Commissioner Yogita Rana.

The Chief Minister reviewed several technical issues and challenges associated with the proposed merger and decided to postpone the process temporarily. CM Revanth Reddy directed officials to conduct extensive consultations with all stakeholders regarding the merger and also suggested that the committee constituted to formulate the Telangana Education Policy should study the issue and submit its recommendations.

The Chief Minister clarified that a final decision would be taken only after holding a debate in the Legislative Assembly.